​The first of 32 wind turbines has been successfully installed at Burbo Bank Extension offshore wind farm, under construction by DONG Energy in Liverpool Bay. The project is a joint partnership between DONG Energy (50%), PKA (25%) and KIRKBI A/S (25%).

At 195m, taller than the Gherkin in London (180m), the MHI Vestas 8MW turbines are the largest in the world and it is the first time they have ever been used in an offshore wind farm. Once completed the 258MW wind farm will generate enough electricity to power over 230,000 UK homes.

Claus Bøjle Møller, project director, said: "The installation of this world-first technology shows DONG Energy is really leading the way in offshore wind energy.

"By using bigger turbines we are able to bring down the cost of providing clean, renewable energy to homes around the UK.

"This positive milestone is a significant achievement for the project and we look forward to producing more green energy here in Liverpool Bay."

As well as using the biggest turbines in the world, the 80m blades for the new 8MW turbines will also be the first locally built blades to be installed at a UK offshore wind farm, having been designed, tested, and manufactured on the Isle of Wight and assembled at MHI Vestas' pre-assembly facility in Belfast.

Claus continued: "The UK is a market leader in offshore wind energy and the Burbo Bank Extension will on completion become DONG Energy's ninth operational wind farm here. By working with our suppliers to build a strong UK supply chain, we are delighted to be using the first ever offshore wind turbine blades built in the UK for this project."

It is not the first time DONG Energy has pioneered new technology on this site. The project is being built alongside theexisting
Burbo Bank offshore wind farm which itself was an innovative project for DONG Energy, as the first offshore wind farm to use the Siemens 3.6MW turbines now used widely across the industry.

Approximately 45 full time employees will work on both the Burbo wind farms out of a newly built operation and maintenance facility in Liverpool for the expected 25-year lifetime of the wind farm.

About DONG EnergyDONG Energy is one of the leading energy groups in Northern Europe. Our business is based on procuring, producing, distributing and trading in energy and related products in Northern Europe. Headquartered in Denmark, DONG Energy has around 6,500 employees, including over 600 in the UK. The Group generated DKK 67 billion (EUR 9.0 billion) in revenue in 2014. For further information, see
www.dongenergy.co.uk